fresh, so clearly you moisturize. >> have a good one. >> jamie: back to the news. out of brazil right now, the death toll's up to 245 and hundreds more are injured in one of the deadliest nightclub fires in more than a decade. outside the club in the city of santa maria. you see the firefighters? they are desperately trying to put out the flames and they are trying to go inside to rescue people. a security guard telling a local paper, as many as 2,000 people were inside when the fire broke out around 2:00 a.m. rescue crews are using a nearby gymnasium as a makeshift morgue. they are working hard to identify the victims. no word on what sparked the fire. we will keep you posted.

>> eric: back here in our country, there are new development this is morning in the national debate over the pentagon's decision to lift the ban on women in combat. some of the critics object to the policy, claiming women lack the physical strength to serve in the front lines and mixing genders in combat is not a good idea. but adhaveicates say women should be given the chance to prove themselves, noting that many are serving in combat-related missions with distinction and bravery, on behalf of a grateful nation. good morning and welcome to a brand-new hour of america's news headquarters. >> jamie: great to have you here. more news as the gender barrier fall, thousands ever front-line military roles could open up to women, as soon as this year. but some insist, men special women won't be able to serve effectively when they are working side by side. steve centanni looking at this.

>> reporter: the debate continues, even though the policy has changed to acam the reality of today's military. women have been serving in certain combat roles for years. but with the stroke of a pen, last week, outgoing defense secretary leon panetta made it official -- women can serve alongside men on the front liance. some opponents say this could lead to problems with unit cohesion and combat readiness. >> my issue here is, mixing the genderses in infantry units and armored units and special forces units is not a positive. there are many distracters which puts a burden on the small unit combat leaders and actually creates an environment because of their living conditions that is not conducive to readiness. >> reporter: others claim women suffer more combat casualties than illnesses and pregnancy is an issue. to senator john mccain, it's equal standards for certain

demanding jobs. >> i think women are obviously -- are prepared to serve side by side with men in combat. i just want to emphasize, though, there should be the same physical and mental standards for anyone to perform certain roles and functions in the military. >> reporter: many say it's a question of equal rights and serving in combat allows a soldier to advance through the ranks, farther and faster. >> the bottom line is we need to treat people like individuals. what are the capabilities they bring to the fight, including physical strength, plus courage, plus aptitude, plus leadership and all the things we need for the most effective fighting force. >> reporter: military service chiefs have until may 15 to make their case about which jobs if any should still exclude women. >> jamie: steve centanni, thanks so much. eric? >> eric: jamie, president obama

campaigned on hope and change. but washington and the nation is more polarized. take a look at the numbers. a new fox news poll shows 84% of democrats approve of president obama's job performance, but just 11% of republicans say he's doing a good job. that's a 73-point gap, tied with one other president, george w. bush. another poll shows since president obama was re-elected, just a third of voters think he has been more bipartisan. but the majority, 55% say he's been more confrontational. does this mean nothing can really get done that's meaningful in washington to solve our nation's national debt and help the economy? we have a former white house political director under president george w. bush and a former chief of staff to west virginia senator joe mansion.

>> great to be here. >> eric: matt, let me start with you. how do we get here? >> well, you know, i think about the president i served, george w. bush. when he came to office, he really was concerned about trying to if i understand a way to reach across the aisle because clearly bill clinton left the presidency with high numbers. he worked with ted kennedy. he worked with democrats and signature domestic policy issues and then 9/11 happened and the wars occurred. really, the nation polarized again, right versus left. i don't think we have come out of that. obama inherited that. but he talked about bridging that and governing in a way to bring right and left together. i happening the number-1 failure of president obama is not the economy. it's his failure to find a way to bring us all together. >> eric: chris, what about that? >> well, i think it's easy to put it on president obammasm the fact is, this has been building and arguably building for years.

the division that we have between the parties. the issues are difficult. the solutions are more complex. it is not easy to find that compromise. it is easy to say that it's president obama's fault. i heard that from the previous president. but the reality is, you cannot dance with someone if they keep saying no. when you have a republican party that is divided amongst itself, in terms of where the country should go, how do you find that common ground that basically unites the country? it's extremely difficult. >> eric: how do we find that common ground? do you think it's possible with the horrible debt, $16.5 and counting trillion. and they said, okay, we are going to delay the debt ceiling situation for now and want really address it, immediately, pushing the can down the road. is this proverbial constant delay, delay, delay until they can get anything together? >> i don't blame president obama for all of this. i do think he inherit the a very

polarized nation. richard nixon and ronald reagan won re-election with 48 and 49 states. obama squeaked out a victory here. one thing obama has to do, even if it's not his fault, he has to lead the country. the nation is in an interesting position, where the right has turned very right and the red has turned very red and the blue is very blue. but on issues like immigration and the budget, i think there is a chance to move forward and i think the democrats on the hill will urge the president to work in a more bipartisan fashion, because if you look at the senate races in 2014, there is a lot of democratic senator who is have to get re-elected in swing or red states. so i think political reality is this -- they have to come together to get some things done or both sides will fail and be criticized. >> eric: specifically, how does he find his way out of this one? speaker baner says he -- speaker boehner says he won't negotiate

with him and president obama seemed implacable on his positions. >> back to me, i think there is going to have to be a shift in how obama handles the hill. you know, when presidents win re-election, the air on top of mt. olympus is scbfl feels great. but it's very thin and it leads to you do things that can appear arrogant. that affects your approval rating and then your agenda can't get through. that's what has happened in second terms with presidents in america. unless obama can show the american people, on the big issues, like the budget and immigration and what he is talking about with guns, he can work with the republicans. let me ask you a question, can you name the one bipartisan accomplishment of president obama? >> yeah, it's called getting re-elected. >> okay! the fact is, if you look at where the country is today, the clear majority of americans,

larger percentage of americans voted for obama than past presidents. but in terms of policy, i am not going to say it's hunky dory. it's not. there are serious divisions, i saw with my own eyes on the hill. but the reality is that you have a republican party, since the tea party came in. and you have seen this with speaker boehner's inability to control his own caucus. so how do you negotiate -- how does president obama negotiate with speaker boehner, when speaker boehner can't negotiate because he doesn't know what his own members are going to do on a particular issue? all of that said, you know, we have big problems in this country on the fiscal side, whether it's immigration, dealing with gun control. sooner or later, particularly on the fiscal issues, you fix them or they fix you. i think there is a path for compromise. but it all depends on what the republicans are willing to put forward and are they willing to support it. >> eric: what does the president do? he is the president of the

united states, he won re-election, isn't it up to him to hand out the olive branch and try to get something done? >> to be frank, i think that the president -- my philosophy is, you reach out even if someone slaps your hand. at the end of the day, you look better. in terms of negotiating and dealing with the republicans, it will be difficult. it will make democrats and the president want to put their heads through a glass wall. but at the end of the day, that's part of the job. i think part of this is reaching out and trying to find that common ground. i think, you know, the question is, where can you find it? on immigration, there is a path there, getting the republicans and democrats to come to terms. fiscal issues, same thing. but the devil's in the details. at the end of the day, i think it becomes a question of what are the republicans really willing to give? because what i would ask matt is, name me the one area where the republicans have been willing to give. the truth is, they don't. >> eric: we are running out of

time. >> i think that john boehner and mitch mcconnell would sit down with the president and negotiate a deal to save medicare, to save social security, to make some real cuts and even talk about -- >> on their terms. >> no! they are willing -- read the books, chris, it's out there. >> if you think they are willing to put revenues on the table you have not been watching the debate. >> -- it's it's called a growing economy. >> eric: they have each others' phone numbers, so you know, pick up and dial. >> they know where they live. >> eric: americans need t. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> jamie: eric said earlier, boy, it is cold out there. much of our country is bracing for another round of extreme winter weather, even place like north carolina are feeling theesques of last week's arctic blast. icy roads making travel there treacherous. and a similar scenario today, as

another storm is bearing down on the plains states before spreading fast. our chief meteorologist has been so busy. >> it's better than it was, jamie. >> jamie: really. >> it's 10 degrees warmer in the northern tier and it will get much warmer. but we have a big problem in the central plains, a lot of freezing rain, that's the biggest concern, ice storm warnings in iowa and waterloo. winter storm warnings. a big mess here. it's a storm that was across the southwest yesterday. it's moved in towards the plains. we have rain. but you see this pink here, that's bad news. this is a lot of freezing rain and sleet. we have very warm air above the surface and the cold air we have been dealing with on the ground is falling as rain and hits the frozen ground and freezes right away. a lot of roads are impassable. you cannot drive on ice. it doesn't matter if have you a

four-wheel drive or whatever, you can't do it. very dangerous can conditions. we will continue to see this pull up to the north and east. by this evening, 6:00, the icing is turning to rain. detroit, overnight, seeing the ice turning to rain. by the morning, we can see this move into central pennsylvania and snow move into new york city and toward new england and we will be done with it. behind it, temps are going to warm up. 59 for a high on tuesday in chicago. 46 here in new york. that's good news. there will be a threat for severe weather tuesday and wednesday. so we are not done with this active weather pattern. >> jamie: the folks in the 82-degree area at the bottom must be awfully happy. >> that's why they moved there. >> eric: a group of sheriffs across the country, pushing back against president obama's gun control proposals. why they say they will not enforce the new laws. one will be here to explain. >> jamie: the tough economy --

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>> 1500. come on, you can do better than that. 17. >> i'll go 16. >> 16-50. >> all right, 16-50. >> all right. let's go write it up. >> usually, i say no. [laughter] >> jamie: do i hear 17-50? that's a scene from history's hit reality tv show, "pawn

stars." pawn shows have been around since the beginning of time, but the role's been changing as the tough economy has left many americans in need of quick cash. what should you be thinking about if you are considering pawning your property -- do you leave it there? do you get it back? how does it work? in today's take-charge consumer protection segment, we find out from the ultimate expert, rick harrison, the star of history's "pawn stars." i would argue that your dad is a star, too, and your son. what a great show. >> thanks. literally, we were hoping for a season or two. we never thought it would turn into this. >> jamie: you know, pawn shops are sweeping the country, showing up in neighbors that the old days we wouldn't have thought they would. and regular folks are walking in with stuff. so if you want some quick cash, is pawning the way to go? >> well, there is a lot of different things. if you need to get a loan and

have you very poor credit, i would suggest going to a pawn shop, as opposed to a pay-day loan places that charge an extreme amount of interest. if you don't pay them back, there are court issues. they garnish your wages and literally a $100 loan can turn into thousands of dollars. with a pawn shop, you bring in property, you get a loan against it. a short time later, you can pick tup, pay interest or maybe a service fee and get the property back. but if something happens and you are not able to pay off the loan, you just lose your property. there is no court issues. there is no wage garnishments and things that can happen. it's a lot safer bet. and for a lot of people with poor credit and financial issues, i suggest going to the pawn shop because in the end, it's a lot safer bet. >> jamie: people might not realize that they can get a loan and pay their property

baccalaureate. but they can sell it outright and not have to worry about a credit agency or anyone coming after you. but how do you know? we saw a clip where the gentleman thought he had something, he was willing to take their 300. you told him it's worth $2500 and you settled at $1750. i forget what the number was. how do we know what our stuff's worth in. >> like when you sell your house, or trade your car in, really do your due diligence. you upon, there is the information box at home, the internet. just do a lot of research. don't take your first offer. go from store to store and check them out. if you walk into a store and you don't feel comfortable, walk out. it's just that simple. it's just like, you know, due diligence. >> jamie: people don't realize, i think, how highly regulated the pawn business is. you have to keep detailed informs and receipts. but it's also very profitable.

i am sure this is one of the reasons people go into it. how much interest do you charge? >> we charge 13% a month. which sounds like a lot of money. but most pawn shops across the united states, their average loan is $75. a pawn shop is designed for, you know, just get you by for a couple of days, things like that. i do a lot larger loans. i used to do loans for $10 or $15 a lot of times. it's not a financial solution, it's a short-term thing to get you by. like i said, it's poor people with poor credit. >> jamie: listen, even for us, i like to clean out my closets on occasion. i might find something that is valuable, maybe an old music box or who knows what -- what stuff is the first stuff you should consider if you are not attached to it, bringing in to see someone like you? >> okay. first thing is like that old jewelry, you got in the 1980s,

that nugget bracelet that you will never wear again, things like thatue know, i mean, jewelry -- >> jamie: i love that bracelet. >> jewelry that is out of style that you will never wear again. things like that. shoparn. don't take your first price, go from store to store. if you tell these people you are shopping it, they are immediately going to raise their prices. >> jamie: people can come in and buy things, too. do they get a good price? >> yeah, they do because literally, i get it below wholesale. i can sell it for less than retail. most pawn shops when you buy things will provide you with a warranty, if you buy electronics. remember, as far as the jewelry goes, there is no -- there is no such thing as a used diamond. as a matter of fact, there is a federal law that there is no such thing as a used diamond. if you go to a high-end jewelry store, that nice diamond ring, fleebl diamond came out of a

pawn shop, believe it or not. >> jamie: i know computers and tv sets and other things. tell me the one thing that was pawned that you have that is your favorite thing of all time. dying to know? >> oh, it's the season. my super bowl ring. >> jamie: wow, wow. what did you pay for it? what is it worth? >> it's probably worth -- this is special. this is the first patriots super bowl ring. super bowl rings, the value depends on how popular the team is. so obviously... the cardinals are going to go for less than the patriots. this one is probably worth $35- or $40,000. i put a $100,000 price tag on it, put it in the showcase. i'll never sell it. >> jamie: you enjoy t. we really enjoyed having you. maybe we can help some folks in need of short-term cash.

great to meet you. >> thanks for having me on. >> jamie: say "hi" to the family. it's a real team effort in that pawn shop. for more on how to take charge on a number of issues, go to foxnews.com. there is an america's news headquarters section and you can find many of our take-charge consumer protection segments. eric, got stuff at home? >> eric: that's the only way i will get a super bowl ring. and jamie colby stuff will be worth more. they are sworp to uphold the law, but a large group of local sheriffs saying they won't, when it comes to new gun proposals. why some in local law enforcement say they won't follow the president's proposals. one sheriff will be here to explain. ?@

>> jamie: fox news alert in

brazil. we have new video from inside that packed nightclub that went up in flame this is morning. police saying at least 245 people were killed, hundreds more injured, just trying to get out of the club. you can see the firefighters trying to help as patrons strug toll find an exit. we are getting reports that fireworks were set off inside that building. that may have been what started the fire. as we get more, we will bring it to you in the show. >> eric: new fallout over the administration's gun control proposals. a reported number of sheriffs -- 127 they say, so far, across the country, claim they may want enforce new gun control laws. they say they believe they're unconstitutional. one is william snyder of martin county, florida, who joins us here now. >> good morning, eric. >> eric: why wouldn't you support the new gun control

proposals? >> well, there are several reasons, primarily it's because i do not believe that banning assault rifles or banning tactical rifles will in any way make our streets or our schools safer. >> eric: why not? >> what you have, i think, in america today is by far the vast majority of people that own firearms own them legally, it's their constitutional right. if you pass a federal gun ban, it would enable law enforcement to take firearms away from law-abiding citizens, but it will not assist us in taking firearms out of the hands of criminals. >> eric: are they talking about confiscation, as opposed to outlawing assault weapons and the clips and this sort of thing? >> well, i haven't seen the federal legislation. my suspicion is they wouldn't try to do a retroactive confiscation law. but going forward, if they make tactical rifles contraband, what

i think you will see, this country will be awash in smuggle firearms. i think gun runners, gun smugglers all over the world are praying that the federal government goes ahead and bans the further sale of these type of rifles because that will open our markets here in the united states, the whole new genre of smuggling. >> eric: what do we do about gun violence? you have the assault weapons out there. the clip like adam lanza used that can fire 10 shots in one second. you don't need this stuff to hunt deer or buck. >> well, you certainly, the answer is that law enforcement continue its efforts to focus on people that are selling firearms illegally. we focus on criminals that are possessing firearms illegally, and we let each state work out its own position. this is know a position for the federal government to get into. floridav has very strict laws. if a state wants to regulate and

register and ban, that's a state's right. it has no place in the federal government. >> eric: others may say, you know, they can respect your position, but say it's want open to personal interpretation. you are sworn to uphold the law, if you don't like the law, that's not part of your duty? >> no. that's absolutely right. we're sworn to uphold the law. i am also sworn to uphold the constitution. i can tell you and my constituent, if the federal government intends to confiscate legally-owned firearms, they will get no cooperation from our agency. >> eric: we haven't heard that. people think, well, what troops are going to come in and bang down your door and take your guns? >> no. i completely agree with you. i don't believe that the federal government is moving right now towards confiscation, but i think what you are seeing is a huge camel's nose under the

tent. you can expect in the decades to come that people with anti-second amendment bias will be looking towards confiscation. >> eric: all right. william snyder, it is a debate that is continuing, we thank you for joining us. >> my pleasure. thank you. >> jamie: there is a desperate search for an american overseas. it's a new york woman who vanished while on a trip to turkey. government officials in the u.s. and abroad are getting involved and we have the details from our new york city newsroom. >> reporter: hey there. the fbi and local turkish police have joined the search for the 33-year-old wife and mother of two. she was last seen leaving her istanbul hostel for dinner monday night and seems to have vanished, leaving her passport, clothing and phone chargers. family members tell fox

newschannel, sierra is a photographer and she left her staten island home to take pictures in istanbul, january 7. she checked in with them frequently, texting her family and skyping with her two children daily. her sister received a text from her monday morning, but no one has heard from her since. she was planning to return home on tuesday, january 25. but she missed her family and decided to move up her flight to the 22nd. when her husband went to pick her up, she never showed. >> you know, you have so many stories going through your mind, you don't know what to think, you don't know what to believe. you don't know what to expect. you don't know what's going to come out of this. >> reporter: steven is traveling to turk tow meet with the local authorities. the couple have been married 14 years and they have two children, both boy, ages 9 and 11. turkish police remain optimistic about finding sierra, saying they have posted her picture around the area and they are

checking local urgent care centers and precincts. this is the first time that sierra had gone overseas by herself. now the family says they will do anything they can to find her and bring her home. also, the new york representative michael grimm is saying his office is working with the turkish officials to getler back safely. >> jamie: we hope for good news on that. >> eric: now for a look beyond the news, here's liz trotta's sunday commentary. >> let's hear if for the french -- not only did they send their troops into somalia to rescue hostages, they have invaded mali, their former colony, rooting out islamistfe fanatics. the american press can't get enough of it, as they urge the french on.

the editorial writers are unified in their praise for the daring shown by the french president who, didn't seem to check with anyone before he gave the order to go in. take note that france's commercial interests in mali are substantial and north africa mill tans are only a step close tort european continent. the obama administration says it is only lending logistical support to mali's defenders, cautiously treading water while the outgoing secretaries of defense and state publicly support further u.s. involvement. last week, hillary clinton told a congressional hearing that we must recognize that groups alined with al qaeda are part of a global movement. quote, we can kill leaders but until we help establish strong democratic institutions, we are going to be faced with this level of instability, close quote. but what's more, she added, we cannot afford to retreat now

when america's absent, there are consequences. yes, you heard that right. a battle cry from the same woman who grimly opposed the war in vietnam and made no secret of her distaste for american armed forces in general while she and bill occupied the white house. mami is just one domino. yes, i said domino, in the great terrorist threat to north africa. with porous boundary, the militants move easily from mali to algeria to libya, drawing more recruits each day in a land where places like timbucketue signals adventure. the wall of attack on the desert gas factory in algeria say the islamists was a reprisal for the french incursion into mali. according to american press reports, some of the attackers who sacked our consulate in benghazi, also took part in the algerian hostage-taking and

murder in the sahara. anyone with a hawkish urging to get more involved in north africa should take note of our record in mali before we hire the contractors and send in the advisers. teams of u.s. special forces have been training and advising the malian army for more than ix years. but last year, the army cut and ran in the face of the enemy. many defected and surrendered their weapons to the militants. even more humiliating for the u.s., one of the malians they were training staged a coup against the feeble government. the new york times reports that the u.s. has spent more than $500 million to train and equip the armies of states in the sahara. obviously, to no avail in the case of mali. the story in north africa opens a new which of chapter or perhak in the west's fight to stop militant islam. once more, the media will not lack for a colorful cast of characters. the mastermooned the algerian

gas plant attack, who wears a black tushin and has one eye from mishandling explosives has emerged as this war's osama bin laden. he named his son after osama. what it will cost in dollars and lives to defeat him and the many other al qaeda spinoffs is a dim prospect. more disturbing is the hope that america and her alice have the will and the heart left to stop the marauding juggernaut of the desert as it heads towards the getway to the west. gateway to the west. >> jamie: iran issuing its strongest show of support for the syrian government, as a civil war threatens to spill over. a provocative statements that they made could affect the united states. will that's next. it's a new day. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm.

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is bigger than we think ... sometimelike the flu.fer from with aches, fever and chills- the flu's a really big deal.

so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. prescription tamiflu attacks the flu virus at its source. so don't wait. call your doctor right away. tamiflu is prescription medicine for treating the flu in adults and children one year and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing. have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. the flu comes on fast, so ask your doctor about tamiflu. prescription for flu.

>> jamie: welcome back. this may not come as a surprise that iran is sticking by syria. but they are doing it in a major way. this is the strong evaluate warning we have heard yet that any attack on syria would be considered by iran as an attack on iran. the threat, as i said, one of the strongest so far nsupport of the regime of syrian president assad and the timing couldn't be any worse because the first of six nato patriot missile batteries are operational on turkey's border with syria. the missiles, partly run by u.s. troops. could war in syria bring the u.s. and iran interest an all-out war? joining me a former state department senior adviser and principle at d.c. international advisory, great to see you, christian. thanks. we are not mincing words when we say iran has come out strongest yet, even saying to saying to t. people who want to help the thousands who were in camples,

who were killed, who were injured and iran is saying, start up with syria -- even try to help -- and you are at war with us. what does that mean? >> right. well, you know, iran love this is syrian regime. it's so important to iran because iran uses syria to control what it considers to be its near abroad, export terrorism, to strike against not just israel, but other western interests, including the u.s. and citizens in places like lebanon, to have its tentacles deep into gaza. it's important for iran. it's doubling down on that. also, you know, iran has no down side from the war dragging on because ironically, even if assad falls, what now is seemingly likely is that the muslim brotherhood might come to power, partly because the war has gone on so long. >> jamie: is that what's behind iran's action, that they would like to take full control of

syria? >> i think they would be happy with assad fhe survived, he would have nowhere to turn to, much of the world has turned its back on him with the notable exception of rushia. but, you know, either way, what have you to -- if you step back and take a look, you see a regime -- or a region that is aflame, where you have islamist political victories and insurgent vehicles and behind the curtain is the iran iranian regime that is having a very good set of years and may have another great year as it gets closer to realizing its nuclear aspirations. >> jamie: i never understand this, what the united nations does, when more than 60,000 people have been killed in syria by syrians, who side with assad. is there nothing they can do? are there efforts that are being thwartd? is iran playing a role in that. >> iran's chief defender at the

u.n. security council has been russia. part of that is russia's desire to poke its finger in our eye and prevent what it considers any extension of u.s. security interests. but the u.n. is essentially useless in things like this. there is a long track record and nothing in that record of the u.n. really being a force for peace. i mean, what it's going to take in sirria, the coalition of the willing. the u.s. has to be involved. we have tried this leading from behind. it just doesn't really work. other countries have thought of stepping up. turkey has played a very noteworthy role in going against assad. but we need to get arms in there for the good guys because the bad guys are getting them. >> jamie: be specific. what does the u.s. need to do? it seems to always fall on our shoulders, but in this case, we have to protect ourselves from iran. >> i think so. it is not just defending israel, but defending u.s. interests,

iran has us in the crosshairs, they tried to hatch an assassination plot in washington, d.c. last year. we have not a no-fly zone to involve us in a war in a time when the electorate does not want that. we should provide arms to the more secular, more leftist and try to bring a post-assad government that is pro-u.s. or at least neutral. >> jamie: christian, before we go today and just in this hour, we got news that the pastor whose family lives here in america was sentenced by what they are calling the hanging judge for 8 years in the wort prison in iran. and his attorney was called to the court today and told, come get your client, we are freeing him. and look what happened. what can we do to help him? and should we? >> the first thing we can do is

bring to his cause. the president of the united states needs to raise this with the world at large, even if we don't have direct communications, although we kind of, sort of do. we can call for his release publicly. whether you are dealing with dissidents -- he was engaged in prosletization, i gather. the more attention you can bring, the more likely they are to survive. this is a reminder that we are dealing with an evil regime, increasingly unpopular with persians and arabs. one that needs to be pushed back on harder by the west and our leaders. >> jamie: it is said that the ayatollah would have had to approve that harsh sentence. that's breaking news. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> jamie: we'll be right back. in america tay we're running out of a vital resource we need to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy.

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>> the u.s. is seeing foreign women coming to the u.s. for birghts, callinged birth tourism, aimed at getting citizenship for their children. a california home was allegedly used as a so-called birthing house for women from china.

we have more from los angeles. >> reporter: hey, there. these women from overseas book the trips like a vacation, spending from $15,000 to $50 thousand. the so-called maternity hotels in an affluent los angeles area is showing a trend. last month, a gated community in chino hills protested against one hotel, in a hill-top mansion on the screen. the seven-bedroom house had been converted into a 17-bedroom facility. it turned out, there were two other hotels operating nearby. >> they get the citizenship. they go back to their country. they don't pay any taxes. they can come back later, attend colleges here, you know, get loans, based on the benefits you get as a u.s. citizen. and get all of these benefits and know be american. you are american on paper, but you are really not american. you don't even live here.

>> reporter: well, we sent a crew to interview the operators and they refused to talk to us and man-handled our producer. the center for immigration studies estimates that 40,000 mothers travel to the u.s. annually, not just from china, but taiwan and other countries. it is not known how many are illegally run hotels. >> eric: 40,000. >> jamie: an update on the tragedy in brazil. the nightclub fire, 245 people died. >> i wanted to call on a few people. ashley, ashley marshall... here. since we're often all on the move, ashley suggested we use fedex office to hold packages for us. great job. [ applause ] thank you. and on a protocol note, i'd like to talk to tim hill about his tendency to use all caps in emails. [ shouting ] oh i'm sorry guys. ah sometimes the caps lock gets stuck on my keyboard.

hey do you wanna get a drink later? [ male announcer ] hold packages at any fedex office location.